Rest
by iExperiment
Summary: Secret Santa for a fic exchange on Tumblr. The Aqua family goes to the beach to celebrate Aquababy's birthday but gets more than they bargained for when the kids stumble upon a centuries-old mystery. Will be some gore in later chapters. (Being edited - will most likely be picked back up when the new season premieres next year)


WATCHTOWER  
February 1st, 09:17 EST  
SIX YEARS LATER

* * *

" _Recognized: Aqualad, B02."_

A figure shimmered into view in time with the soft female voice of the Watchtower computer and surveyed the room for a moment before striding towards the room's only occupant, a dark-haired man in black body armor.

"Hey, Kaldur."

Surrounded by holographic computer screens, Nightwing paused his furious typing long enough to wave. "How was Hong Kong?"

"It has thirty less pirates than it did two weeks ago, so I'd say alright." The Atlantean said dryly. He glanced around the empty room. "Is La'gaan…?"

"He should be out here any minute." Nightwing pivoted towards the screen behind Kaldur, who sidestepped him neatly. The other man resumed his typing without missing a beat, throwing Kaldur a grin over his shoulder. "He's so excited he can hardly stand himself. He must've asked me at least a dozen times this morning if you were back yet."

Kaldur returned the smile, but found himself distracted by the complex-looking algorithms that his friend was apparently trying to decipher. "You look…busy."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Nightwing teased. He stood still for the first time since Kaldur had arrived and sighed deeply, running a hand through his dark hair. From the way it stuck up in all directions it wasn't the first time that day that he had done so. "Riddler's been hinting that he's planning big for a couple weeks now, and it seems he's finally ready to go through with it. He sent this coded message to Gotham P.D. three days ago. Decoding the message is just the first step, though. Knowing Riddler's m.o., the decoded message will be a riddle. So, of course we'll have to solve that once we solve this." He smacked the screen for emphasis. "The catch is, every wrong guess and every hour that goes by with it unsolved, the lower this countdown gets." He tapped a small counter in the corner of the screen that read '75'. "And once that hits zero, the message is automatically deleted. Once that happens we'll be hard pressed to figure out his grand plan in time to stop it. Anyways, Gotham P.D.'s techs obviously had no success, and with both Batman and Batgirl in Blüdhaven for the next week on another case, the task of cracking it falls to me." He glanced at the small sitting area set up along the windows lining the outer wall of the tower and smiled fondly. "Well, me and Robin. Poor kid's been up the last two days straight helping me." Kaldur followed his gaze and just barely spotted the dark head among the pile of pillows on the nearest armchair. He felt a pang of guilt thinking about the two of them slaving away over the Riddler's latest puzzle while he and La'gaan spent the next several hours relaxing.

"Do you require any assistance?"

Nightwing spared him a quick glance and must've seen his concern, because he looked guilty himself for a second before grinning cockily. "What, and have to share the glory with you when I finally crack this thing? No way. I already have to share it with Robin." He gave Kaldur a playful shove out of the circle of screens. "Not a chance. You already have somewhere to be. Go have fun; you've earned it."

Before he could protest there was a flurry of activity behind him and a pair of slender arms yanked him backwards.

"Kaldur! You're back!"

"Hello, M'gann." Kaldur twisted around in the Martian's arms and gave her a quick hug. "It is good to see you again. You as well, Superboy."

Said Kryptonian gave him a short wave and a small smile over M'gann's shoulder. "Welcome back." A sleepy Beast Boy trailed the two of them, stretching and rubbing his eyes. "Hi Kaldur. Tell the prince happy birthday for me."

"I will do that."

"I still don't get why you're having his party at Aquaman's old house by the ocean, though." He yawned widely, fangs showing. "You guys live in Atlantis. You're surrounded by water all day. Why would you want to go to the beach?" The older teens all laughed, but Kaldur quickly grew serious again. "That is an excellent question, Beast Boy; with a less than excellent answer, I'm afraid. Prince Arthur was born extremely prematurely. His lungs are not fully formed and it is difficult for him to breathe out of the water, especially if he overexerts himself at all. For his safety we do not dare travel too far from the ocean. Hence, the Atlanteans are going to the beach." He looked amused again, but Beast Boy looked dismayed. "Duuude. That sucks. Poor little guy." M'gaan moved to consoled him but was interrupted by a loud crash.

"You're here?! Neptune's beard, Kaldur, you're LATE!"

"It's good to see you, too, La'gaan." Kaldur said amusedly, ducking back a step to avoid getting poked in the eye by the scaly green finger jabbing emphatically in his direction. "Are you ready to leave?"

"I've been ready for like three hours." The younger boy grumbled. "You're the one holding everything up." He glanced around, readjusting the strap of the black bag he was carrying. "Did King Orin already leave?" Kaldur nodded.

"He left for Atlantis as soon as we got back."

La'gaan nodded back. "Then what are we waiting for?" He pushed past Kaldur and darted to the center Zeta tube, cutting off an amused M'gann and an exasperated Superboy. "Have fun on your date, angelfish!"

M'gaan giggled. "Thank you, La'gaan."

Kaldur paused long enough to catch Nightwing by the shoulder and said quietly, "Please call me if you need anything." "Nightwing snorted and shoved him lightly. "I already told you, no way. But thanks for the offer."

"Kaldur, hurry up!"

He rolled his eyes at Nightwing, who snickered. "You better get going before he explodes or something."

"Indeed."

He joined an impatient La'gaan at the teleporter. They both waved farewell to M'gaan and Superboy and shimmered out of sight.

* * *

" _Recognized: Lagoon Boy, B18-"_

La'gaan exploded out of the Atlantean Zeta portal so fast that if Kaldur hadn't been so amused by his excitement he might have treated him to the lecture he and Nightwing gave to new members of the Team about the dangers of leaving a Zeta platform before one's atoms had fully reassembled. But as it was, the moment he was solid enough to feel the faint water currents of Atlantis on his skin he felt the same excitement start bubbling up and couldn't bring himself to ruin the other boy's good mood. In a few swift strokes he caught up with La'gaan and the two swam shoulder-to-shoulder to the palace. A guard directed them to the outdoor garden at the back of the palace where a small group had already gathered.

La'gaan shot him a dirty look. "[I told you we'd be late.]" He floated to a stop in front of the foremost figure and touched a fist to his forehead. "[My king.]"

Aquaman clapped him on the shoulder enthusiastically. "[La'gaan! It is good to see you again! Kaldur. Long time no see.]" He joked.

Kaldur chuckled. "[Indeed, my king.]" He saluted Aquaman and then repeated the gesture to the woman and child floating beside him. "[My queen.]" He smiled fondly at the boy. "[Prince Arthur.]"

"[Kaldur!]" The boy threw himself into Kaldur's arms in a very unregal show of affection while his parents laughed. Kaldur scooped him up and balanced him against his shoulder. "[You were gone so long. I didn't think you and Father were ever coming back!]" He stared accusingly at a guilty-looking Aquaman. Kaldur patted his arm consolingly. "[And we are both very sorry about that. We did not realize when we left that our mission would take so long. But we are here now, and I hear someone has a birthday today.]" Arthur threw both arms in the air and almost smacked Kaldur in the face. "[Me! Me! I do!]" Kaldur laughed. "[Well, shall we get going then?]" "[Yeeess!]" The gleeful seven-year-old rocketed out of his arms and into those of his father, who immediately swung the giggling boy onto his back and swam on ahead with him. La'gaan followed while Kaldur offered to take the large duffle bag that the queen was carrying. She accepted with a smile and touched his arm lightly. "[It is good to have you both back safe and sound.]" "[Thank you, my queen.]" She drifted past him to rejoin her husband and son while he dropped back a length to greet the young man swimming behind her.

"[Garth.]"

The dark-haired man gave him a small smile. "[Kaldur. It's been a while.]"

"[Yes it has.]"

Garth made no attempt to continue the conversation and Kaldur felt a brief stab of pity. It had been two years now since Tula had died. Whereas he had eventually managed to bury his sorrow over her loss deep inside, Garth's was still as visible as the eel tattoos on Kaldur's arms. Tula's death had changed him; and if two years of constant support hadn't helped him recover, two minutes of casual conversation certainly wasn't going to. So Kaldur let him be and turned his attention to the last member of their group. "[Hello, Lorena.]" The dark-haired girl floating behind them gave him a stiff smile that more resembled a grimace. "[Hi, Kaldur.]" She said haltingly, and he mentally kicked himself. "My apologies." He said in English. "Old habits. We did not mean to exclude you." The moment he switched languages a look of relief flashed across her face.

"No biggie. Queen Mera still hasn't given up on teaching me Atlantean, but it's a slow process." She made a face. "Very slow. Should've paid more attention in freshman Greek; might've helped." She joked. Kaldur smiled back. "Perhaps." He hesitated before saying, "Perhaps I could help?"

"Help what, teach me Atlantean?"

"Yes. I happen to be quite fluent." He managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds, and then they both burst out laughing.

"I should hope so." Lorena snorted. "Maybe I'll take you up on that, if you promise not to laugh at how sucky my pronunciation is."

"Never." He promised. "That you are making the effort to learn at all is impressive."

"Hey, how am I supposed to be "Aquagirl", partner to Aquaman, king of Atlantis, if I can't even speak the language?" Garth flinched visibly, and with a swift kick shot away from them to join the others. Kaldur and Lorena both stared after him, a stormy look washing over the latter's face. "I am sorry. He is…still not used to someone else using that name." Kaldur said softly, touching her shoulder. Lorena shrugged him off, scowling at the ground. "I was the same way when we first met." He reminded her.

"Yeah, but you got over it. I've known him even longer than I've known you, and he still can't hardly stand to be in the same room as me."

"Tula was his whole world. Any reminder of her still causes him great pain." Something in Kaldur's chest constricted painfully. _'That makes two of us.'_

"It's not fair." Lorena snapped. "I'm sick of being treated like I'm contagious just because I share a nickname with a dead girl." Kaldur flinched and she immediately looked contrite. "I'm sorry. That was…insensitive, to say the least. But…look." She huffed. "Aquaman explained to me about her before I took the name Aquagirl, and I still chose to use it because I wanted to honor her. She was a hero, a real hero. I realize that he's still hurting and I'm sorry for him, for all of you. Really I am. But it's not fair that I'm being…punished, for what happened to her."

"No." Kaldur agreed quietly. "No, it is not."

Lorena seemed satisfied at that, at least for the moment, and dropped the subject. It was just as well, because they had arrived back at the Zeta portal and a continued private conversation would have been impossible. One by one they all swam through the portal, Aquaman overriding it to allow Mera and Arthur to pass through. They came out the other side concealed in a small stand of trees. Lorena wrung her hands, shaking off the buzzing feeling that always accompanied Zeta teleporting. "I'll never get used to that."

Aquaman ushered them out of the trees, where they found themselves on a short cliff. He threw his arm wide to indicate the small town below them.

"Welcome to Amnesty Bay."

Mera looped her arm around his and leaned against him. "It's nice to finally be back here." They stood there for a moment, both smiling fondly, she at the town and he at her. Eventually, though, he carefully pried his arm out of hers. "Do you have my jacket?" She looked around for a moment before her eyes landed on the waterproof bag that Kaldur was still carrying.

"Sort of." He chuckled. Kaldur handed it to her and she dug out a black jacket. Aquaman pulled it on and zipped it, effectively hiding his bright orange armor. Mera handed him a pair of sandals as well, and in a moment he looked almost normal. "Well, I'll be back momentarily. I have to go pick something up." He winked at Arthur and the boy's face lit up.

"What is it, what is it?! Is it my-"

"Arthur!" Mera laughed. "You'll see what it is in a little bit! For now, why don't we head down to the lighthouse while your father is picking up…whatever it is that he's getting." She and Aquaman exchanged mischievous grins. "Fine." Arthur sighed, taking his mother's hand, but he quickly brightened again. "Let's go then! C'mon, c'mon!" He tugged at her arm excitedly. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." Aquaman slid down the cliffside and disappeared down a back street while Mera led Arthur and the others around the edge of town. After several minutes an old lighthouse came into view, perched on the edge of a much more sizable cliff. A cool breeze blew against them, and Kaldur inhaled the tang of saltwater with pleasure, despite having spent much of the last two weeks on the ocean. _'You can take the Atlantean out of the sea…'_

They skirted well around the lighthouse, picking their way down a much smoother incline far to the right. Mera immediately started setting up, producing a blanket and a set of dishware from her bag. Garth silently joined her, leaving the other three with Arthur, who instantly ran to the water and started splashing. Lorena grinned impishly and darted at Arthur. "I'm gonna get you!" He shrieked and tore off down the beach, Lorena hot on his heels. Kaldur and La'gaan stood together in silence, enjoying the sound of the sea. After a few minutes Aquaman joined them, balancing a large white box in one arm. La'gaan carried it to the picnic blanket for him, dodging an excited Arthur, and leaving Aquaman and Kaldur alone.

"It's beautiful here." Kaldur said eventually.

"It is."

"Does the lighthouse still run?"

"Yes. One of the only lighthouses in the U.S. that's still manned." Aquaman looked proud. "Most are run by machines these days. I guess maybe I could've paid to have this one refitted, but…" He shook his head. "This isn't just any old lighthouse."

"It is your home." Kaldur finished.

Aquaman nodded. "And my father's before me." He chuckled. "The only time I ever thought my father might love something more than me was when he talked about this old place. He loved it dearly. I just don't have the heart to make such drastic changes to something he treasured so much, even if it might be cheaper."

"Cheaper than what?"

"Than paying someone to run it manually. An older gentleman that lives in town, Jeromy Parker. He's always had a fascination with old buildings, so when I was looking for someone to take over running this place he was more than willing."

Kaldur smirked. "Does he know he's being employed by Aquaman?"

"Not a chance."

"Father, Father!"

"Hey, sport." Aquaman scooped Arthur up, resting him on his hip and tickling him. "What's up?"

Arthur giggled. "Mother says we should do games first and then eat." "Is that so?" Aquaman pulled a face at him and he giggled again. "Well, your mother knows best." He set him down as Mera and the rest of the teens gathered around. "What do you want to play first?" Arthur considered for a moment, stroking his chin with a very serious expression. "Um, how about…tag!" He smacked Aquaman on the leg. "Tag, Father, you're it!" He waded into the water as fast as his short legs could carry him. Aquaman's eyes narrowed. "Oh, is that so?" He unzipped his jacket and tossed it aside, kicking his sandals off on top of it.

"Now might be a good time to run." Kaldur suggested. "No kidding." Lorena agreed, backing away. She glanced at La'gaan and smirked. "Bet ya' he catches you first." "No way." La'gaan argued. "I'm a way faster swimmer than you." "You're both going to get caught first if you don't move." Garth observed, amused, as he followed Arthur deeper into the water. The two vanished beneath the waves. Lorena and La'gaan traded looks and then scattered.

Aquaman watched them go calmly, then turned toward Mera. She took a step back. "Oh, no. Don't you even think about it. Arthur!" She let out a childish shriek and took off across the sand, Aquaman only a few short steps behind her. Halfway back to the picnic blanket he caught her around the waist and swung her around. There was a great deal more shrieking and laughing as he kissed her neck and then proceeded to tickle her. "Looks like you lose first." She smacked his shoulder playfully, still laughing. "I'll get you back for that when it's my turn." He kissed her again. "We'll see about that. In the meantime…" His eyes fell on Kaldur, still standing on the beach. The two stood frozen, staring at each other.

Arthur broke the silence with a squeal. "Run, Kaldur, run!"

The next two hours passed in a flash. La'gaan won his bet with Lorena, managing to outswim Aquaman for another twenty minutes after everyone else had been tagged; until he took a wrong turn and cornered himself against an underwater shelf of rock.

After everyone had taken a turn being "it", Arthur decided that they should play hide-and-seek. Here La'gaan shone again, and Kaldur as well. Kaldur half suspected it had something to do with the both of them being on the Team. Stealth proficiency was part of the job description. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so much, Garth also proved a pro at the game. With his dark hair and clothes he could vanish into the shadows easier than any of them, and he moved more silently in the water than even Aquaman. At last they all gathered on the beach. Over the last half hour Arthur had started wheezing, and while he seemed to be having too much fun to care it had gotten bad enough that Kaldur could tell his parents were starting to get anxious.

"I'm it, I'm it!"

"I think not." Mera said gently, catching the wheezing boy by the arm. He looked disappointed. "But I-"

"Unless you'd rather keep playing while your mother and I eat all the cake." His father teased. His eyes immediately lit up. "So it was a cake!" "Arthur!" Mera scolded her husband. He looked sheepish. "It's not like he didn't already know." Arthur tugged on her arm. "I want a piece with tons of frosting." "Lunch first." She said firmly. He sighed heavily. "Okay…I get to sit by Kaldur!"

Lunch was finished quickly, largely due to Arthur harassing everyone to eat faster. At last plates were cleared and Aquaman produced the large white box with a flourish. The cake was an explosion of color, decorated with a multitude of sea creatures lovingly rendered in neon frosting. "We had Topo design it." Aquaman explained. "Arthur loves watching him draw." Kaldur smiled at a small pink octopus in the corner of the cake. "I thought I recognized the style."

Once everyone had finished their cake (and Arthur had successfully begged a second piece from his mother) it was time for presents.

"Wow! Thanks, Kaldur! Thanks, Lorena!"

"It's remote controlled." Lorena explained as he shredded the box on the toy sub they had both gotten him. "After you open the rest of your presents I'll help you put it together." Arthur hugged them both tightly. La'gaan handed him the black bag he had been carrying when he and Kaldur left the Watchtower. Arthur opened it carefully and peered inside, then with a shout of glee turned it upside down and shook out the contents. A dozen or so wooden figurines spilled out into the sand. Arthur snatched one up. "Wow, you really made them!" "All of them." La'gaan said proudly. "See, here's Poseidon. And here's a couple of soldiers." "Father, look! The chariot even has little reins so the seahorses can pull it!" "Oh, La'gaan." Mera said softly, turning one of the soldiers over in her hand as Aquaman admired the wooden chariot. "You always make the most amazing things for him." "Indeed." Kaldur touched his shoulder. "You are quite skilled, my friend." La'gaan was practically glowing from all the praise, and it was a few minutes before they drag a fascinated Arthur away from his new toys long enough to open his last present. Aquaman pulled the gift, nearly as long as Arthur was tall, from the bottom of Mera's bag with incredible care. Arthur took it with some difficulty, pulling the wrapping open carefully. He gasped and looked at his parents in shock. "No way! Is this really for me?" Aquaman pulled the wrapping the rest of the way off, revealing a small gold trident. "You kept saying how much you wanted one like mine." Arthur was speechless for a minute, then stood up and threw his arms around his father's neck. "That's like the coolest gift I've ever gotten!" He hugged Mera tightly before dancing around the blanket, whooping. Mera and Aquaman traded pleased looks.

Lorena helped him assemble the remote control sub and put in the batteries, and they entertained themselves for several minutes while Kaldur and Garth helped clean up. After that La'gaan helped him build a sand castle for the figurines. Mera and Aquaman soon joined, and after a few minutes Kaldur quietly pulled the other teens away.

"I think perhaps we ought to let them have some time together just them." He suggested, and the others all nodded in agreement. One by one they quietly slipped into the water, leaving the happy family to themselves for a while. The water deepened quickly, and they swam with no destination in mind other than away from the lighthouse, simply enjoying the quiet. Kaldur spotted a few swirled shells on the seafloor and scooped them up as he swam by, thinking Beast Boy might like them. La'gaan swam past him, smacking him on the shoulder. "Tag, Kaldur, you're it!" Kaldur shook his head, stowing the shells in his pocket before chasing him. He caught him easily, and before long they were all playing. Garth even joined in, chasing and catching a giggling Lorena before he seemed to remember that he was giving her the cold shoulder. After that he was his solemn old self again, putting in just enough effort to avoid being caught; but Kaldur felt a flicker of hope anyways.

La'gaan was soon it again, and in his attempt to avoid him Kaldur swam behind a large wall of rock and coral. He peered back around the corner, La'gaan was nowhere to be seen. He ducked back around the wall just in case, his hand brushing the rock. A jolt of apprehension shot through him and he spun around, one hand dropping to his water bearers. Fish scattered around him, but they and the gently waving seaweed were the only living things around besides him.

Something moved behind him. "Found him!" La'gaan called triumphantly, and Kaldur jetted around another bend in the wall, narrowly avoiding being tagged. He stopped almost immediately. In front of him loomed a dead end.

"Uh oh, looks like you're trapped, Kaldur." La'gaan called. Kaldur didn't answer. That uneasy feeling prickled at the base of his skull again. Something was wrong, something was missing…

"Where is Lorena?"

Garth and La'gaan both looked at him blankly and then La'gaan's eyes widened. "Kaldur, look-" The light touch on his shoulder startled him so badly that he reached for his water bearers again, but the high-pitched laugh that followed stopped him. "-out." La'gaan finished with a sigh. "Found her." Lorena emerged from the shadows behind Kaldur, giggling. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Her carefree attitude made Kaldur feel uncharacteristically irritated, and he wasn't sure why.

"There you are. You disappeared on us, where did you go?"

The question came out sharper and more accusing than he intended, and her expression darkened briefly. "I found something." Her face lit up. "Something cool. You guys gotta see this." She twisted sharply and dove back into the shadows, vanishing completely. Kaldur and Garth traded confused looks, but followed La'gaan into the shadows after her. Instead of ending immediately as Kaldur has assumed, the wall curved inwards and downwards until the boys found themselves in what appeared to be the beginning of an underwater tunnel. Lorena was already a good several lengths ahead of them. She waved.

"C'mon, they're just up here."

La'gaan looked back at them questioningly, but Kaldur simply shrugged. He wouldn't have even noticed the tunnel if Lorena hadn't pointed it out; he didn't have a clue as to what might be inside it. But as his eyes adjusted to the darker confines of the tunnel, he realized it was getting brighter ahead. They rounded the corner and nearly had to shield their eyes. Around the corner the tunnel widened significantly and the walls were spotted with white crystals, most fist-sized, some a good deal larger. All of them were throwing off a strong glow, bright enough that Kaldur could see something on the walls as well.

"What are these drawings?"

Lorena floated closer and peered over his shoulder. "No idea. I wasn't in here long enough to even notice those." Garth ran his hand over a portion of the wall, rubbing off the underwater moss clinging to the rock. "These look like people. They look like they're holding…spears? Swords? Some kind of weapon. And they're fighting something. Someone."

"Fish people?" La'gaan suggested. When the other three all stared at him he huffed. "What? Look at the...things on their heads. They look like fins." He tugged on the fins on either side of his face for emphasis. "Looks more like they've got some kind of weird three-way Mohawk going on to me." Garth said dryly, and Lorena snickered. La'gaan huffed again. "Well, I think they look like fish people."

The crystals ran all the way down the tunnel and around another corner and the teens followed them, examining the accompanying drawings as they went.

"Looks like the, uh-" Garth snuck an amused glance at the cranky La'gaan. "-fish people killed a lot of the, uh, other people."

Kaldur stopped a little way ahead of him and rubbed some more moss away. "They invaded their city. They killed many, and they invaded…that looks like a palace. There they killed the-" Kaldur cut off abruptly, and the other three immediately crowded around him. "What? They killed the what?" La'gaan demanded, trying to see over the shoulders of the older teens. "The child." Kaldur finished finally. "They killed the king and queen's child." They all fell silent for a while, staring at the image of a female bent over a small body stuck full of strange weapons, while a male standing by two thrones raged at the alien-looking invaders. The irony of finding a story about a child prince being murdered, on the same day that they celebrated their own prince's birth, wasn't lost on any of them. Finally, Lorena floated to the next set of images and one by one the boys followed.

"You know…" She said suddenly. "I thought all these weird symbols around the pictures were just fancy borders, but…they kinda look like words, don't they?" Kaldur and La'gaan promptly looked at Garth. "You've spent the last couple years learning all sorts of different languages." La'gaan said. "Any ideas?" Garth studied the looping script for several minutes before shaking his head. "It's no language I've ever studied." The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "And I've studied a few."

Lorena meanwhile had already gotten bored waiting and had moved onto the next set of drawings and La'gaan turned and drifted after her. "Another battle." He observed. Garth squinted at the shadows obscuring the rock above the image. "Nine days." He said suddenly. Kaldur looked at him questioningly. "There are nine suns above the picture." Garth explained. "The fish people and the people in the city fought for nine days and then…" He turned to follow the drawings and frowned. "It goes up." They all traded apprehensive looks before swimming up the tunnel, until they found themselves above water and standing in a small circular room. Here the crystals and the drawings on either side of the tunnel met at the far end of the room, with the largest crystal yet protruding above the final drawing. Lorena crossed the room to it, leaving a trail of puddles behind her. "From the looks of the drawings we swam by on the way up here, the people from the city drove the fish people into the sea-"

"Stupid idea." La'gaan interrupted with a scoff. He grinned nastily, showing his sharp teeth. "We fish people are stronger in the water." Kaldur wasn't quite sure how he felt about La'gaan identifying with the murderous beings in the drawings, but he and Garth both nodded in agreement. Fighting an Atlantean in the water was an incredibly stupid idea. Not that the fish people were Atlanteans, he reminded himself. And not that Atlanteans were fish people. To say that calling them that was rude was a huge understatement. Lorena coughed exaggeratedly, shooting an apologetic-looking La'gaan an annoyed frown.

"Anyways. They drove them into the sea, all the way into a…" She squinted, turning in circles as she attempted to decipher the faded scribbles. "I have no idea what that's supposed to be, honestly. It looks like a spoon. Whoever drew these was not very good."

"They certainly had their own style." Kaldur agreed, amused.

"At any rate that looks like the queen again." She gestured. "She showed up after her people drove the fish people into the spoon-" La'gaan snickered in the background and Lorena grinned. "-and then the queen showed up and like, threw off a bunch of lightning or something, or maybe they're snakes, or noodles, because honestly who even knows anymore." She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Certainly not me. But all that matters is that the fish people were trapped in the spoon forever more. The end." Garth and Kaldur both clapped sarcastically and she bowed dramatically. "Thanks. I'll be here all day." She and La'gaan both wandered away to examine the other images in greater detail and mess with the crystals, while Garth joined Kaldur at the front of the room. Standing there in front of the image of the queen, who was bent oddly in half and surrounded by squiggly lines, and bathed in the weird light of the crystals, Kaldur felt the prickling sensation on the back of his neck again and stronger than ever. Something about the cave felt off, felt wrong, but he wasn't sure what. Garth stepped up beside him, even quieter than usual. Finally, he said, "They look Atlantean."

"What do?"

"The words."

Kaldur frowned at him in confusion. "I thought you said you didn't recognize them." "I don't. At least not completely. They're a different language, but some of the letters look similar." He stepped closer to the image of the queen. "See, this word here could be 'power', or maybe 'strength'. But the lines here and here are all wrong." "I see it." Kaldur hesitated. "Could they possibly be an offshoot of the Atlantean people?"

"Normally that's what I would've thought, but I can't imagine Atlanteans living in Amnesty Bay at any point and King Orin not knowing about it-"

"Neptune's beard!"

"Well, that didn't work." Lorena said sarcastically. "Are you two alright?" Kaldur asked in concern. La'gaan wrung his hand, grimacing in pain. "Fine." "Turns out those crystals don't budge." Lorena informed them cheerfully, while La'gaan sucked on his aching finger and glared at the offending rock. "And why exactly did you try?" Garth asked. La'gaan scowled at him. "Thought it would make a nice souvenir for Beast Boy." He muttered. "Guess it didn't feel the same."

At that moment Kaldur's earpiece crackled. "Kaldur, we're planning on leaving in about an hour. Are you four doing alright?" He turned away from the group, gesturing for silence. "We are fine, my king. We were…exploring. We will head back now." Aquaman laughed. "This is a good place for that. We'll see you soon then." Kaldur hummed in acknowledgement. "Time to go?" La'gaan asked in disappointment and he nodded. They all wandered towards the exit, Lorena and La'gaan playfully pushing each other aside to get there first. They were right at the water's edge when Lorena gave him a rather overenthusiastic shove and he stumbled over something sticking out of the floor and tripped.

"NEPTUNE'S BEARD!" He howled, clutching at his foot. Far from being apologetic, Lorena instead looked exasperated. "Do you ever use any expressions other than that one?" La'gaan bared his teeth at her, rolling to a sitting position and rubbing his newest aching limb. Lorena crouched beside him and rubbed some dirt away from the object responsible. "It's a piece of wood. Didn't get any splinters, did ya'?" She teased. "I'm fine." La'gaan growled, even crankier than before. She ignored him, rubbing at the piece of wood a little harder, frowning in concentration. "Hey, it looks like the corner of a box." "So?" La'gaan grumbled. "Who cares." But Lorena didn't seem interested in leaving until she uncovered it completely, so Kaldur formed one of his water bearers into a blade and helped her scrape away the hard dirt. Sure enough, buried beneath the floor of the cave was an ancient-looking chest. A worn, rusted lock just barely held it shut. One blow from Kaldur and it shattered. Lorena pulled it off and lifted the lid. She yelped.

"No way." La'gaan breathed. Kaldur's jaw dropped. "Unbelievable." Even Garth looked amazed. "Is that…?"

"TREASURE!" La'gaan and Lorena yelled together. She threw the lid wide open. "No way, we found a treasure chest!" "We? I found it." La'gaan argued. "You said you didn't care." She argued back. "Well, I care now." They glared at each other for a moment and then Lorena started laughing. "Right? I mean, look at all this stuff!" She ran her hand lovingly over the contents. "Perhaps we should take it back to the lighthouse." Kaldur suggested. "We'll be able to see better." "Good plan." Lorena carefully closed the lid. "I'll carry it." La'gaan offered. He took it by the worn handles on either side and heaved. He got it only a few inches off the floor before he dropped it with a grunt. "Oh, you wanna play it that way?" He took a deep breath and started to swell. When he had inflated to twice his normal size he tried again, this time easily lifting the chest. One by one they all stepped back into the water. The trip back was slow, La'gaan's pace hampered by the awkward, heavy chest and loss of use of his arms. At last they reached the shore. Both Aquaman and Mera were waiting for them, looking anxious, while Arthur amused himself with his remote control sub.

"There you are." Aquaman said as soon as Kaldur and Lorena emerged from the water. "We were starting to worry."

Kaldur saluted him briefly. "We apologize for the delay. We got…sidetracked." La'gaan dropped the chest into the sand with a puff of exertion, slowly deflating back to his normal size. "Check this out." Lorena said gleefully, throwing open the chest. Mera and Aquaman both gasped. Arthur abandoned his toy to come see what had caught their attention. "No way! You guys found a treasure chest?!" He crossed his arms and pouted. "Aww, man! I wish I had come with you." "You can pick something out if you would like." Kaldur offered immediately. "Yeah; after all, it's your birthday." Lorena added. With some difficulty she and La'gaan managed to turn the chest on its side. Coins and other items, all seemingly cast in solid gold, cascaded over the sand. Aquaman shook his head in disbelief. "Where did you find this?"

"In an underwater cave." Kaldur said. "And completely by chance. La'gaan tripped over it."

"Outrageous." Aquaman murmured.

"Whoaaa! I want this!" Arthur held up a rather wicked-looking dagger, the gold handle at odds with the worn leather sheath. Mera looked less than thrilled by his choice.

Aquaman, on the other hand, looked pleased; but his caution as a parent quickly won out. "You can have it, but keep it sheathed until I show you how to use it, okay?"

"'Kay!"

"Ooh, I know what I'm taking!" Lorena carefully pulled a long necklace out from under a pile of coins. It was made with a combination of pieces of crystal like the ones in the cave, and what Kaldur realized with a start were fragments of bone. Lorena fingered one. "Creepy." She sounded far from creeped out, though, and immediately put it on.

Kaldur moved closer to pick out something for himself and saw La'gaan stealthily slide a bracelet much like Lorena's necklace into his bag. He caught Kaldur staring and flushed. "It's not for me." He said defensively. Kaldur didn't say anything and La'gaan fidgeted. "It's for M'gaan." He admitted finally. "I'm sure she will love it." Kaldur said softly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Garth choose an almost identical bracelet, and while it looked like something he might actually wear Kaldur had a feeling he knew who it was really for. That was none of his business, though, so he busied himself searching through the remaining treasure and eventually found what he had been looking for. La'gaan raised an eyebrow at the small necklace he pulled from the bottom of the chest. "It's not for me." Kaldur parroted his early statement, and carefully lay the necklace inside a leather pouch that had also been in the chest.

Aquaman and Mera gathered up Arthur's presents and the picnic supplies, giving them a little more time to look through the chest's contents. Eventually, though, Aquaman gently prompted them to wrap it up.

"We'll take the rest back to Atlantis and you can all divvy it up later." Carefully they replaced all the treasure into the chest, and Aquaman took one of the handles. "La'gaan, do you mind?" La'gaan took the other, and with some effort they managed to lift it and started the slow walk back to the Zeta portal.

Kaldur was lagging a bit behind the rest of the group, puzzling over the drawings in the cave and the intense feeling of foreboding that emanated from it. He turned a corner and almost ran over Lorena, who was stopped in the middle of the trail holding her head. All thoughts of the cave immediately vanished. "Are you alright?" She teetered a little, bracing herself against a tree. "Yeah, my head just…hurt really bad for a second. I'm okay now." She took a few wobbly steps and stopped again. He took her arm, half afraid that she was going to faint.

"Are you sure?"

She didn't answer immediately. She took a few deep breaths and when she started forward again her steps were steadier. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'll just take some Advil when I get home and I'll be fine."

"Alright." He said worriedly, and she flashed him a strained smile, face slightly pale. "Seriously, Kaldur, I'm fine. You worry too much."

The rest of the walk went without incident, but Kaldur stayed by her side nonetheless until they reached the Zeta portal and she teleported to her home town of San Diego while the rest of them returned to Atlantis. As they swam back to the palace, treasure in tow, Kaldur finally managed to convince himself that Lorena's sudden affliction had nothing to do with the cave. _'Too much time in the sun, nothing more.'_ He told himself. _'She's fine; she said so herself.'_ He didn't know why he was so worried about her. Alright, that wasn't completely true. One reason did come to mind, but he wasn't ready to admit that yet, even to himself; so he did his best to put it and her out of his mind. _'Forget about it. Don't ruin a good day by overthinking things like you always do. She's fine.'_

' _She's fine.'_


End file.
